Support cap



March 6, 1962 R. H. ALEXANDER ET AL 3,023,469

SUPPORT CAP Filed Aug. 31, 1955 NVENTO ROBERT HENRYALEXANEER JOHN K LSPECHT ATTORNEY its rates 3,023,469 SUPPORT CAP Robert Henry Alexanderand John Karl Specht, Warren,

Pa, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Sylvania Electric Products Inc.,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 31, 1955, Ser.No. 531,759 2 Claims. (Cl. 24--73) This invention relates to asupportcap for fragile articles and more particularly to a cap for supportingChristmas tree ornaments.

Christmas tree ornaments of the type formed to give the appearance ofcolored glass spheres or bulbs are usually -attached to the branch ofthe tree by a metallic cap assembly and a wire or string. The metalliccap assembly comprises a cap having a wall which surrounds and engagesthe exterior surface of the bulb neck and a base formed with an aperturethrough which a resilient wire spring is threaded. The spring is shapedso that it may be depressed during entry into the bulb'neck opening, andwill flex outwardly and contact the inner surface of the bulb afterinsertion. This type of cap assembly is thereby affixed to the bulb bymeans of the internally disposed spring contact wires and the externallydisposed cap walls which cooperate with the bulb neck. That portion ofthe spring wire arranged outside the bulb is usually formed to provide aloop through which a string or wire hook is threaded to effectively hangthe ornament from a tree limb.

Ornament support device assemblies of the type described above have twocomponents, the cap and spring, each of which must be fabricatedseparately and subsequently assembled. This assembly must then bemounted upon the ornament manually due to its awkward configuration, thenecessity of depressing the spring for insertion, and the fragile natureof the ornament. Even with manual operation, numerous ornaments arebroken when the spring ends catch on the edge of the ornament neckduring assembly.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a support for afragile article which is simple in design and economical to manufacture.

A further object is the provision of supporting means for a fragilearticle which is suitable for automatic fabrication and assembly.

A still further object is to provide a support for a fragile articlewhich minimizes breakage during assembly, later handling and ultimateuse.

The afore-mentioned objects are achieved in one aspect of the inventionby the provision of a cap for supporting an ornament formed from aflexible material to provide a base with a wall which engages theexterior marginal portions of the ornament opening and integralresilient appendages which grasp the internal surface of the ornament.

Other objects will be apparent after reading the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along lines 44 and 55respectively of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 in acooperating relationship with an ornament.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap 11 as shown as having a circularbase 13, which is formed to cooperate with the circular neck of anornament similar to the one shown in FIG. 6. However, bases with othershapes may be employed if another type of ornament configuration isused. Cap 11 may be made of a plastic material such as polyethylene orof another material having the characteristics of being flexible andresilient. Integral with base 13 is a raised portion 15, appendages 17,and a wall 19 shown in FIG. 2 as completely surrounding appendages 17and having a height greater than the appendages.

The cap mounting member or raised portion 15 has an aperture 21preferably formed as a slot to provide the channel through which a treelimb engaging string or wire may be threaded. Referring to FIG. 2,-eachappendage 17 is shown as having a leg section 23 and a foot 25. Theappendages cooperate with an ornament bulb neck of the type illustratedin FIG. 6 to effectively retain the neck between the appendages and wall19 when these parts are in an operable relationship with one another.Although four appendages 17 are shown in the embodiment of the inventionillustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2, the number employed may be varied to givethe amount of grasping action desired. Since the material of the cap isresilient, appendages 17 are forced inwardly by the walls of theornament neck as the neck is slid intermediate appendages 17 andwall.19, and over the tapered end-s of feet 25. When the edge of theornament neck reaches an abutting position with the lower surface ofbase 13, resilient appendages 17 are pressed against the inner surfaceof the ornament neck so that the ends of feet 25 frictionally engage thewall of the ornament neck and thereby retain it between appendages 17and wall 19. This construction of resilient cap 11 allows it to beautomatically assembled on the ornament by a suction arm or similardevice without causing cracked or chipped ornament necks.

Another embodiment of the ornament cap constituting one aspect of theinvention is shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 inclusive. Integral with circularbase 219 is a cap mounting member or raised portion 31, appendages 33,wall 35, and protrusions 37. Raised portion 31 has a slot 39 formedtherein to provide means through which a tree limb engaging string orwire 41 may be threaded. Resilient base 29 has a curved surface formedto provide a depression at its central section, thereby causingappendages 33 to extend from base 29 at an angle with wall 35. Theappendages have tapered or rounded ends so that contact with the glassornament will not crack the ornament neck during insertion. Althoughthree appendages are shown, the number may be varied to give the amountof frictional engagement desired. Cap wall 35 surrounds appendages 33and has a shape corresponding to the shape of the ornament neck.However, if an ornament is employed which does not have a well-definedneck portion, wall 35 may be accordingly altered or eliminated, providedthe base 29 is made wide enough to cover the ornament opening andprovide a proper seat for the cap. Three semi-circular protrusions 37may be arranged on the internal surface of walls 35 intermediate thepositions of appendages 33 to provide additional engagement with theornament neck. The protrusions may also be in the form of a partial rimor a complete rim circumscribing the internal surface of wall 35.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 may also be applied to ornament 43by an automatic machine. A vacuum chuck or similar device may be placedagainst the top surface of base 29 causing it to be forced outwardly toassume the form of a substantially fiat plane. This movement of the basealso causes integral appendages 33 to move to a position substantiallyparallel to wall 35. The vacuum chuck may then be moved to thread thecap over neck 45 of ornament 43 so that the marginal portions of theornament opening lies intermediate appendages 33 and protrusions 37.Release of the vacuum then allows base 29 to return to its normallycurved form, which in turn disposes appendages 33 at an angle withornament neck wall 45. The ornament wall is thereby trapped betweenappendages 33 and protrusions 37. Frictional engagement of theappendages and the protrusions with the ornament neck provides adequatesupport for the ornament when it is hung from the limb of a tree.Protrusions 37 may be eliminated if desired, and suificient ornamentsupport can be obtained by frictional engagement with appendages 33 andwall 35.

Ornament caps or other supports for light articles made in accordancewith the invention may be mass produced as a single piece and areadaptable for automatic production assembly methods while at the sametime lending to the reduction of rejects due to broken ornaments.

While there has been shown and described what at present is consideredto be several preferred embodiments of the invention, it will beapparent to persons skilled in the art that other modifications may bemade therein without departing from the scope and spirit of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A plastic cap adapted for slidable attachment to and support of afragile article having a substantially straight open neck portion of agiventhickness comprising a curvilinear resilient base, a substantiallyuniformly thick wall surrounding said base, a cap mounting memberintegral with said base, and a plurality of spaced apart integralresilient appendages depending from said base internally of and in thesame direction and at an angle to the wall, the ends of said appendagesbeing normally spaced from the wall a distance less than said given neckportion thickness whereby said wall and said appendages are frictionallyengaged with opposite sides of said neck portion and spatially yield tosaid given thickness to provide support for said article upon slidableattachment of said cap thereto.

2. A plastic cap adapted for slidable attachment to and support of afragile article having a substantially straight open neck portion of agiven thickness comprising a base, a substantially uniformly thick wallsurrounding said base formed with protrusions, a cap mounting memberintegral with said base, and a plurality of spaced apart integralresilient appendages depending from said base, internally of and in thesame direction and at an angle to the wall, the ends of said appendagesbeing normally spaced from the wall a distance less than said given neckportion thickness whereby said protrusions and said appendages arefrictionally engaged with opposite sides of said neck portion andspatially yield to said given thickness to provide support for saidarticle upon slidable attachment of said cap thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS858,842 Watson July 2, 1907 1,158,622 Blakeslee Nov. 2, 1915 1,162,703Loew Nov. 30, 1915 1,747,760 Duffy Feb. 18, 1930 2,049,228 Sebell July28, 1936 2,220,568 Tishel Nov. 5, 1940 2,679,878 Stine June 1, 19542,719,374 Paione Oct. 4, 1955

